Anurag Thakur slams Sonia Rahul over silence on Sanatan Dharma remarks

PTI, Sep 11, 2023, 7:26 PM IST

Seoni: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party considers the ‘one nation, one election’ concept to be in the interest of the country and its people since it will save time and money.

The Narendra Modi government on September 1 formed a committee under former president Ram Nath Kovind to explore the feasibility of ‘one nation, one election’.

“Time will decide which elections will be held simultaneously, but the BJP believes the one nation, one election is in the interest of India. It is in the interest of citizens and will save the country’s time and money,” the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister told reporters.

He arrived here to take part in the BJP’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ ahead of Assembly polls likely to be held at the end of the year.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked time and again why shouldn’t elections be held simultaneously. In the beginning of this year, polls were held in two states (Karnataka and Nagaland). Now they will be held in five states (MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram),” he said.

“There will be (Lok Sabha) polls in the middle of next year. How many polls will be held in a year? The model code of conduct continues to remain in force. If polls are held simultaneously, then it will save time as well as money and will ensure that more work will be done in the country,” he claimed.

Thakur questioned the Congress and some other parties over their opposition to ‘one nation, one election’ and sought to know their logic for doing so.

Queried on the India-Bharat debate underway, Thakur said “every Bharatiya is proud of being Bharatiya but some people have problems with the name Bharat”.

Thakur said those who are opposing it must take part (in discussions) when the Parliament will be in session.

“It has become the habit of the Opposition to take to the streets on various issues but they don’t participate in discussions in the House since they don’t have facts with them,” he alleged.

Answering a query on the issue, he said, “Whoever wants to discuss it can do so, but the Constitution clearly states India, that is Bharat.”

He slammed Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for maintaining silence over the comments against Sanatan Dharma by DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Stalin had recently derided Sanatan Dharma claiming it created divisions among people and had sought its eradication on the line of diseases like malaria, dengue and coronavirus.

“The silence of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi means they are in full support of those disrespecting Sanatan Dharma,” Thakur said.

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for the successful organization of the G20 summit, Thakur said it was a “major achievement” especially when the world is facing multiple challenges.

The world is looking at India with high hopes, the BJP leader asserted.

Thakur lauded MP’s progress in various sectors, including achieving top rank in wheat production, increasing the number of medical colleges from five to 30 and taking the length of roads from 61,000 kilometres to 5.11 lakh kilometres.